Chapter 30: Whispers in the Light

  Cassian exhaled, his fingers tightening slightly at his sides. Sky’s voice, light and unbothered, carried an unsettling weight beneath its playfulness.

  “Don’t look at me like that, brother…” Sky tilted his head, his silver eyes gleaming under the dim light. “I didn’t do anything wrong… It’s just the way I’m made.”

  Cassian studied him in silence.

  The way he was made.

  Not the way he chose to be.

  Not the way he learned to be.

  But made.

  Cassian didn’t know if that was a comfort or a warning.

  “Is that so?” he murmured.

  Sky grinned, swinging his legs. “Mhm. That’s why you shouldn’t blame me for being too smart, brother.”

  Cassian scoffed, shaking his head. “Right. Of course.” He moved toward the wardrobe, already dreading the morning ahead. “Since you seem to know everything, tell me—what exactly do you think will happen tomorrow?”

  Sky hummed in thought. “Hmm… well, I think a lot of people will be very interested in you.”

  Cassian frowned slightly, glancing at him. “Explain.”

  Sky leaned back against the pillows. “It’s simple. My real brother—Cassian Starfall—wasn’t just some quiet, model student.” His fingers tapped against the sheets. “He was a star pupil, yes, but also someone that everyone in that academy had an opinion about. Some loved him, some feared him, some hated him.but he got a reputation of 'good deed kid' ”

  Cassian felt a sharp pulse in his temple.

  Of course.

  It wouldn’t just be a matter of attending classes and pretending to be a normal student.

  He’d be stepping into the life of a person who had left behind deep impressions on those around him.

  People who would notice even the slightest change.

  “And let me guess something,” Cassian muttered. “He wasn’t exactly approachable either.”

  Sky giggled. “Not at all. If anything, he was worse than you.”

  Cassian sighed, rubbing his temples. “Great. That makes things so much easier.”

  Sky smirked. “But don’t worry, brother. If you ever need help, just give me a sign.”

  Cassian arched a brow. “A sign?”

  Sky’s grin widened. “Mhm. Like a special signal, just between us. How about…” He thought for a moment, then giggled. “Ah! You could say something like, ‘The stars are particularly bright today.’ That way, I’ll know you’re struggling.”

  Cassian gave him an unimpressed look. “That sounds ridiculous.”

  Sky pouted. “Aww, but it’s fun.”

  Cassian rolled his eyes. “I’m not saying that in public, ever.”

  Sky huffed. “Fine. Then suffer alone.”

  Cassian ignored him, pulling out a fresh uniform from the wardrobe.

  The crisp black-and-silver academy attire felt foreign beneath his fingertips.

  He didn’t belong in this place.

  He didn’t belong in any of this.

  But tomorrow, none of that would matter.

  Because when he stepped through those academy doors—

  He wouldn’t be Cassian Drayven.

  He would be Cassian Starfall.

  And if the real one had left behind ghosts in that academy—

  Cassian would have to learn to haunt them too.

  He lifted the uniform slightly, his gaze tracing over the embroidered insignia on the chest—a crest of intertwined stars, the mark of Zenith Academy’s elite. It was just another role, another mask. He had played countless before.

  So why did this one feel heavier?

  From the bed, Sky hummed lazily, his silver eyes glinting with quiet amusement. “You look so serious, brother.”

  Cassian lowered the uniform, meeting his gaze. “Do you hate him?”

  Sky blinked. “Hate who?”

  Cassian hesitated, then clarified, “Your real brother. Cassian Starfall.”

  The question hung between them, thick and weighted.

  Sky’s expression didn’t change. “Nope.”

  Cassian’s brows furrowed slightly. “Even after what he did?”

  Sky giggled. “Brother, you’re asking like I was traumatized or something. He wasn’t that bad.”

  Cassian stared at him, unconvinced. “You told me he made you watch his ‘masterpieces’ and wouldn’t let you look away.”

  Sky shrugged, kicking his legs. “That was just his way of sharing, I guess. I didn’t like it, but…” He trailed off, tilting his head. “It’s weird. I should hate him, right? But I don’t.”

  Cassian’s fingers tightened slightly around the fabric in his hands. “There’s something wrong with your head.”

  Sky pouted. “You keep saying that.”

  Cassian sighed. “Did you ever try to tell your mother or father?”

  Sky’s expression didn’t change, but something in his eyes dimmed, just slightly. “I did.”

  A pause.

  Then, in a voice too light, too casual, he added, “But they were always busy, busy, busy. No one ever listened.”

  Cassian’s grip on the uniform slackened.

  He had nothing to say to that.

  Sky didn’t seem to expect a response. Instead, he perked up suddenly, his entire demeanor shifting as if the conversation hadn’t even happened. “Leave the past where it is, brother.”

  Cassian exhaled through his nose. “You’re good at that, aren’t you?”

  Sky smiled, unbothered. “Yep! No use crying over spilled blood.”

  Cassian stared at him. “That’s not how the saying goes.”

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  Sky giggled. “Oops.”

  Cassian shook his head, setting the uniform aside. “I need sleep.”

  Sky gasped dramatically. “Wait! Before you go to sleep, let’s play a game!”

  Cassian groaned. “Not again.”

  Sky huffed. “No, no, not like last time! No truth games, no tricks, no bets.” He clasped his hands together, eyes shining. “Just a simple video game. No stakes, no mind games—just… fun.”

  Cassian raised an eyebrow. “Fun?”

  Sky nodded eagerly. “Yes! Let’s just enjoy something for once. Can we, brother?”

  Cassian hesitated.

  He wasn’t sure when the last time was that he had played something just for the sake of playing.

  But as he looked at Sky—this strange, unreadable child who seemed to understand far too much—he found himself sighing in reluctant agreement.

  “…Fine.”

  Sky beamed. “Yay!”

  Cassian exhaled, shaking his head.

  Tomorrow, he would walk into Zenith Academy as a ghost wearing someone else’s skin.

  But tonight?

  Tonight, he could allow himself a moment to forget.

  ---

  Cassian never considered himself the kind of person who could get lost in something as simple as a video game.

  And yet, here he was.

  The low hum of the screen cast a soft glow over the dimly lit room. The flickering neon colors reflected in Sky’s bright blue eyes, making them seem almost luminescent in the dark. The boy was completely immersed, his small fingers moving rapidly over the controls, his brows furrowed in intense focus.

  Cassian, too, found himself swept up in the rhythm of it—the flashing battles, the fast-paced strategies, the momentary rush of victory when he outmaneuvered an opponent. It wasn’t real, not in the way the rest of his life was, but it was a reprieve. A strange, fleeting moment of normalcy.

  For the first time in what felt like forever, Cassian wasn’t thinking about masks or lies or the weight of stolen identities.

  He was just playing.

  Sky suddenly let out an excited laugh as their characters finished another round, the triumphant victory screen flashing across the monitor. He twisted toward Cassian, eyes sparkling with excitement.

  “Brother! You’re amazing! You beat them all!”

  Without thinking, he lifted his hand for a high five—then stopped midway.

  Cassian saw it.

  The hesitation.

  The way Sky remembered, at the last second, that He didn't like being touched.

  Something tightened in Cassian’s chest.

  Before he could overthink it, he reached out, ruffling Sky’s messy black hair.

  “You’re good at this too.”

  Sky blinked up at him, his expression caught between surprise and something softer. His wide eyes gleamed, pure and innocent in a way Cassian wasn’t sure he deserved to see.

  Then, slowly, a bright smile stretched across Sky’s face.

  “Let’s play another round! Can we?”

  Cassian exhaled a quiet chuckle. “Sure.”

  Sky tilted his head. “Really?”

  Cassian leaned back, letting himself relax into the moment. “Anything for your smile.”

  Sky beamed.

  And for a while, they played.

  Round after round.

  Laughter. Teasing. The sound of button clicks and frantic shouts as they barely dodged an enemy’s attack.

  Somewhere along the way, Sky’s energy began to wane. His excitement softened, his movements slowed. His words turned quieter, mumbled between drowsy sighs.

  And then, finally—

  Sky’s head drooped, his small body slumping sideways.

  Cassian felt the slight weight of him settle against his leg.

  For a brief second, he stiffened—unused to the contact.

  But Sky’s breathing was steady. Slow. Peaceful.

  Asleep.

  Cassian exhaled, running a hand down his face.

  “Sigh… Kid.”

  He glanced down, watching the rise and fall of Sky’s chest.

  What a tough life you’ve lived through.

  The thought came unbidden.

  He wasn’t sure when he had started caring.

  Not just playing along, not just pretending—but genuinely caring.

  Somewhere in the distance, the game’s victory music played on loop, forgotten.

  Cassian let his head rest against the couch, eyes growing heavier. Maybe—just for tonight—he could let himself rest too.

  But just as his consciousness began to slip—

  A pull.

  Deep, unnatural.

  Tugging at his very being.

  Cassian’s body jerked, a sharp inhale caught in his throat—

  Then, darkness.

  ---

  Silence.

  It stretched endlessly, weightless and suffocating all at once.

  Then, like ink dissolving into water, the darkness melted.

  Cassian blinked.

  Soft light flooded his vision—golden, serene, washing over him like the first touch of dawn. The air was fragrant, sweet with the scent of blooming flowers. Beneath him, the ground felt cool and smooth, as if he were lying on a bed of clouds.

  Mist swirled in the distance, shimmering faintly, pulsing like a heartbeat.

  And above him—

  Trees.

  Tall, towering, their crystalline leaves glowing with a soft silver light, swaying gently in a breeze that didn’t seem to come from anywhere.

  Cassian exhaled slowly.

  This place again.

  The Realm of Meditation.

  Or, as he had come to think of it—

  The Cage of Light.

  A familiar presence stirred.

  Deep. Ancient. Watching.

  And then—

  A voice.

  “You are late today, child.”

  Cassian’s body refused to move.

  Just like before.

  He could think. He could feel.

  But he could not act.

  His thoughts remained silent, echoing only within his own mind.

  So, I can even be forced into here, huh?

  Realization settled over him.

  Oh.

  That’s why he was so certain when he said, “By choice or by force, you will meditate here.”

  So, he can pull me in at will.

  The presence chuckled, its voice like the whisper of wind through leaves.

  “You are dealing with quite the burden, aren’t you? Pretending to be someone you are not. Protecting yourself. Protecting that child. It is… difficult.”

  Cassian’s thoughts sharpened.

  Does it change anything?

  I deal with it. So what?

  Laughter, warm and knowing, echoed through the space.

  “Well, that is true.”

  A pause.

  Then—

  “Let me help you.”

  Cassian’s thoughts stilled.

  Help?

  The presence continued, its voice wrapping around him like a gentle tide.

  “Complete your meditation.

  And when you open your eyes in the morning…

  …you will receive a present.”

  A shift.

  A sense of something changing.

  Something awakening.

  “You will need it.”

  “Because from now on, the trials ahead will only grow worse.”

  Cassian’s breath caught.

  And then—

  Light.

  Blinding, all-consuming.

  Flooding his senses.

  Pulling him under the mediation effect